Bell dreamed of a mansion filled with Demons. He saw the boy in the green and black-checkered garb entering the mansion to save a little boy. Together with him, there was another Demon Slayer, a blond-haired one in a yellow, lightning-patterned garb. Two normal kids followed in fright...
And then Bell gasped when the house's structure changed. Was this the power of the Demon? He saw the boy in the green and black-checkered garb met a pigheaded Demon Slayer, who recklessly attacked everyone. He did not understand why the pigheaded Demon Slayer attacked the boy in the green and black-checkered garb.
Then the room changed again, and this time, they found the lost boy inside the mansion. Bell was really relieved when they found him. He thought the boy had already lost to the Demons. Then the boy in the green and black-checkered garb comforted the boy and his sister who followed him before. Those two kids must be terrified, and the boy understood that, so he made comforting the two kids the highest priority.
His empathy and kindness were to be envied, indeed. Bell really really wanted to follow his steps.
He then saw how the boy confronted the Demon alone, leaving the two kids a way to get out of the reach of the Demon. Although he was caught in the Demon's trick, slowly, he analyzed the situation and came out with a solution.
Water can form into any shape. Its flow will never be stopped.
And in that instant, Bell realized it. The boy's Breath of Water was adaptable. He unconsciously used it when he fought the Silverback, but most of it was a 'heat of the moment' thing that he forgot later. But now he understood.
He saw how the boy in the green and black-checkered garb used the Breath of Water to strike as the room was spinning around and finally slashed the Demon's neck. Bell then heard him praying for the Demon. Such compassion... to ask forgiveness for his enemy...
And then he woke up.
Bell was running in the outskirt of Orario, specifically still inside the walls, but yeah, he was at the outermost Orario. The reason was that he realized that his body needed more endurance rather than honing his technique, so he was trying to increase his endurance by running the circumference of Orario.
He did not use the breathing technique, as that would defeat the purpose of the run, so after two laps of the entire Orario, his body was simply too tired to do anything, and he fell to his bottom, gasping for breath.
It was at the crack of dawn, so the townspeople had not filled the streets yet, so nobody was around to look at him. Bell used the time of rest to think about his dream the previous night. Water. His style, copying the boy in his dream, was Breath of Water. His Skill, Elemental Respiration, materialized the water as he used his technique. Did that mean if he knew how to use other breathing techniques, his Skill would materialize the element? From the name, it was undoubtedly so.
Well, not like he could replicate other breathing techniques easily. For some reason, Breath of Water's motion came like muscle memory to him.
Bell stood up and went back to the abandoned church. When he woke up, his Goddess was still sleeping, clinging to him. He hoped she hadn't woken up yet. On the way to his home, several stalls began to be opened by their owners. Bell greeted all of them with a smile. He said 'good morning' to the flower shop owner, Mrs. Estelle, who was waving at him from inside the shop. He laughed at the joke the secondhand shop worker, Mr. Green, told him involving some clever wordplay. He rubbed the head of the book shop owner's daughter, who launched herself at him with a smile. It had become the daily routine for him to greet these people. At first, Bell was just greeting them out of courtesy as he passed them when he returned from his run, but now he felt that they were his acquaintance.
For some reason, Bell found greeting them with a smile to be fun and seeing their smile in return to be soothing. Maybe this was one of the reasons why the boy in his dream was very kind. It was soothing. His decision to follow the path of the boy in his dream was not a mistake.
It came to be a surprise when he wandered slightly from his usual route to find more townspeople to greet and found somebody he knew instead.
"Miss Lion?"
Bell spoke her name, as he was quite surprised to see the waitress, not in her usual Hostess of Fertility uniform. She was wearing a simple white sleeveless shirt and short pants. On her hand, she was gripping a wooden sword, swinging it around, slashing phantom enemies. Her strike was so fast that Bell's eyes couldn't follow all of them.
Hearing her name being spoken, the elf stopped her motion and looked towards the source. "Mr. Cranel. Good Morning," she greeted him.
"G-Good Morning!" Bell bowed at her, flustered. He still remembered his interaction with her three days ago. She overheard him crying on his Goddess! It was too embarrassing!
"What are you doing this early, Mr. Cranel?" She relaxed her stance.
"I came back from my usual morning run. I took a different route and found you instead, Miss Lion, ehehe," he scratched his cheek. "But I have to ask, are you a former Adventurer, Miss Lion? That movement... a three-week olds Adventurer like me can't follow it at all."
Bell noticed it.
Bell noticed the fact that Ryuu bowed her head when he mentioned about 'former Adventurer.' Aaaaahhhh! He wanted to die! He probably touched upon the same problem he did three days ago!
"I'm sorry, Miss Lion!" Bell bowed to her over and over again.
"Ah... it's okay, Mr. Cranel." Ryuu stopped his bowing. "Rather, from what I heard, you took upon a Silverback. A three-week olds Adventurer killing a Silverback is unheard of, Mr. Cranel. Keep surviving, and your name will be known sooner or later."
"Name known..." Bell trailed. "Citywide fame?! Like the Sword Princess?"
"Not exactly like the Sword Princess. She is too phenomenal, but yes. Citywide fame, Mr. Cranel. Are you perhaps not prepared?"
He just gave her a sheepish grin. "Not really. I didn't even think I'd be famous. My Familia is barely started."
"Is that so?"
Silence. Bell honestly did not know what else he could talk about to her without triggering the problem with Ryuu. It felt like, in the small amount he interacted with the beautiful elf, all he did was just embarrassing himself.
Oh, there was something! His mind provided.
"Miss Lion. Is it okay if you help me train for a bit?"
She looked taken aback by his question.
"Me?" She then muttered something low enough that Bell couldn't hear all of it. He did hear something about 'Syr' and 'chance.' He wondered what it was about. "Very well, Mr. Cranel. I shall help you train. Let's spar."
"Eh?"
"Prepare yourself."
The greenish-blonde elf then left his sight instantly, and Bell felt a tap on his neck. He couldn't even draw his sword from the sheathe, and the tip of Ryuu's wooden sword was already on his neck!
Still, Bell shook the shock out quickly and said, "Once more."
Ryuu came back to his opposite and went back to her stance. "Forgive me. I should probably lower my speed more."
Yes, you should! Bell shouted inside his mind. Outwardly, though, his face did not change in the slightest from the pure concentration.
"Here I go."
Ryuu moved, but this time her speed was much lower than before that Bell could follow it. He drew his katana and parried the slash that would rip open his chest were it a real sword. Despite the different materials they were made from, the wooden sword on Ryuu's hand matched the steel sword made by Hephaestus herself!
Bell disengaged and rolled back, distancing himself from his sparring partner. It was probably the difference in strength. His strength couldn't match up to Ryuu's, so her sword was able to match his.
There was no way he could get a strike at her like this. This would just end with her tapping her wooden sword on his neck again.
So Bell took a deep breath.
Gripping his katana with both hands, Bell let out his breath.
"Hm? What's that strange sound?" Ryuu remarked as her eyes still trailed on him.
Breath of Water, Third Style: Dance of the Swift Current!
He moved and twisted his way, the water accompanying his swings, and slashed at the wide-eyed Ryuu. Unfortunately, she easily parried it with her wooden sword. Bell pulled his sword and changed his stance slightly.
Water was adaptable. Its flow could not be stopped. Therefore, if he built his attack around a single 'flow,' he could, in theory, struck at his enemies in multiple ways within a single flow of attack by chaining his styles.
Breath of Water, Seventh Style: Piercing Rain Drop!
Bell thrust his sword, but as the rippling wave came, there was nothing it hit. The target of his attack was not there!
"Below you!"
Indeed, from below him, a crouching Ryuu was swinging his sword upwards with no resistance. It struck his stomach, making him lose the breath in a second. But before the fatigue set in, Bell, whose body was floating in mid-air, twisted his body.
Breath of Water, Sixth Style: Twisting Whirlpool!
Bell unleashed a twisting slash, and water followed, forming a small whirlpool around Bell's body and splashed outwards. However, while the water splashed and soaked Ryuu, none of the slashes landed, unfortunately.
After that, Bell regained his footing and slashed at Ryuu, but she once again displayed why she was superior to him by dodging it and put the tip of her sword on his neck.
"You're really strong, Miss Lion!" Bell exclaimed amidst his gasp and looked behind him, where Ryuu was still standing there.
She was soaked all over. Unfortunately, because she was wearing a white shirt, the water made it transparent and exposed her undergarments.
"Gyaaa! Miss Lion! Your..." Bell quickly sheathed his sword and using his two hands to cover his eyes.
"Oh... Please do not worry, Mr. Cranel. It is understandable. Still, was that water magic? Once again, I have to say, it is rare for a normal human to have magic in only three weeks unless you're using grimoire."
Slowly, Bell took off his hands from his eyes and looked towards Ryuu, who was standing there stoically. It looked like she wouldn't get angry, so Bell shook his head, answering her question.
"It's a skill. It doesn't use Mind at all because my magic status is still zero. Actually, it's part of the reason why I go on a morning run every day. Using the skill tires my body so much I couldn't move, so I think raising my endurance would shorten the time I need to rest my body."
"That movement... Mr. Cranel, were you perhaps a talented swordsman before you gain your Falna?"
Bell really really wanted to say no. It wasn't his style, after all. It was something he saw in a dream. However, saying no would just raise more questions. Nobody would believe him if he said he learned to use a katana in a dream.
"Talented is a bit much..." Bell scratched the back of his head. "But I did train, yes."
It wasn't a lie. He trained before going to Orario, but not the Breath of Water.
"I see... Shall we continue?"
Bell nodded excitedly. "Please!"
They spent all morning crossing blades and getting bruises in Bell's case. It wouldn't be until Ryuu realized that her shift was starting soon that they stopped their spar and promised to train there every day in the morning.
(After that, Ryuu went back towards the Hostess of Fertility and was questioned by everyone why she was soaked. She answered honestly that she now helped Syr's Mr. Cranel training every morning, and Syr was invited to watch.
Ryuu had never seen Syr blushed that hard ever. The other waitresses were just happy that Ryuu found a training partner other than them and simultaneously prayed for the white-haired boy's survival.)
"Seventh floor!?" Currently, Bell was standing in the Guild receptionist area after trading the magic stones he got from his venture inside the Dungeon. Certainly, it might be a mistake mentioning the seventh floor in front of Eina, but Bell was just so happy that he could progress one more level down in the Dungeon and let it slip that he took down a monster in the seventh.
Eina was glaring at him, although Bell could sense no anger, just concern. He was blessed to get Eina as an Advisor. So Bell replied Eina's glare with a smile.
"Why are you smiling? Who is it that had almost died on the fifth floor facing a Minotaur again?"
"...But that was me facing an irregular monster that should not appear on the higher floor. I have no problem facing War Shadows and Frog Shooters on the sixth floor, so I thought I was ready for seventh. I killed a Killer Ant before I hightailed myself out when I remember they can call others."
"My point is, Bell, It's dangerous going down the seventh floor when you only started three weeks ago!"
Bell raised his hand with a sheepish smile. "But going by your own guide, Miss Eina, it's okay to venture down to seventh when your status is at G, right? Well..."
Eina looked at Bell sharply. "...Are you saying what I'm thinking? No way! I don't believe it!"
"But it was on the status sheet Goddess copied for me! I'm not lying!" Bell tried to defend himself. This time he was not at fault. How did the situation force him to defend himself again? "You can confirm it to her yourself."
She sighed.
"I really want to trust you, Bell. But I can't. I can't just trust your words. Specifically, I can't trust an Adventurer's words. They have a tendency to downplay their injuries and overestimate their capabilities." Eina fixed the position of her glasses. "I guess I have to visit your Goddess sometimes soon."
She then glared at him. "But that doesn't mean you're off the hook, Mister."
He could only laugh sheepishly as Eina reiterated her scoldings from before.
"Don't just laugh! This is a serious matter," Eina scolded him again. She was furious at him. That made him a little sad. "Bell?"
"Ah, nothing, Miss Eina. I'm just..." He was angry at himself for making her mad like that. "I'm sorry for making you angry like this."
Her glare softened. "If you're sorry, then you need to understand that following my advice is important, Bell."
"But I did follow your advice, though, Miss Eina," He pointed out.
"We're back at this again, huh?" Eina sighed and pinched her nose. "Very well, I'll concede. I will confirm with your Goddess myself. In the meantime, Bell, do you have free time tomorrow?"
Bell blinked. "Well, after my morning run and training, I can take a break for delving down for a day. Why?" He answered honestly.
"Since you're stubborn with your adventuring, I'll do what I can to prepare you for the challenge. Tomorrow we shall shop new defensive gears for you."
Bell's eyes lit up in delight at her suggestion.
"Yes!"
(Later that night, Hestia was in a foul mood when Bell accidentally told her about his plan tomorrow, she ended up not forcing herself to sleep together with him on the sofa.
That, actually, was how Bell learned when she was upset with him in the future. In the meantime, Bell would enjoy a night of sleep without his Goddess clinging to him. It was endearing at first, but now it just made it harder to fall asleep for him.)
It was just a happenstance.
Really, she never expected that it would happen. She was just observing the crowds. There was no one worth noting there. She was about to avert her eyes when she found it moving on the corner of her eyes.
Yes.
It was something she found so beautiful she could not avert her gaze. A soul so transparent, so pure, she couldn't tear her eyes off it. And yet, at the same time, it radiated warmth and lit up its surroundings.
The light seemed to leave a trace whenever he moved, and when the warmth and light reached other souls, they lightened up a little.
That was...
From there on, she vowed.
Sooner or later, she would get it.
Ryuu slashed at the air. The chill morning air did nothing to stop her movements. She was diligently honing her skills so that they would not get rusty. This was the least she could do to honor their memories. Unfortunately for her, her fellow workers of Hostess of Fertility did not want to train with her anymore after spending a day sparring.
She did not expect to meet with the one who held Syr's affection yesterday morning. She also did not expect him to ask her to train him. She complied after thinking that Syr could use this to get closer to him. Hence, today Syr and the others, namely Chloe and Lunoire, watched her fighting with her imaginary foes, waiting for Bell Cranel to come and train together with her.
"I'm curious about the boy, Ryuu," Chloe spoke when Ryuu took a short break to wipe off her sweat. "No doubt you're trashing him since he's a newbie Adventurer. But what is your opinion on him?"
Ryuu glanced at Syr for a second before she answered. "Either a skilled liar or somebody told him a lie, and he believed it wholeheartedly."
Sorry for the deride, Syr. But this was her honest opinion after facing him yesterday.
"Ryuu? Can you please elaborate?" Syr's expression was flat. She did not like the boy she fancied being mocked. So Ryuu explained her reasoning.
"He said to me that he's only been an Adventurer for three weeks. But those techniques and movements... To elaborate. We sparred many times yesterday, and none of those times he could touch me with his real sword. However, his swordsmanship technique reminds me and is on par with..." Kaguya. "With someone I knew in the past. I knew she did not perfect her technique until at least she was Level Three, but Mr. Cranel moved gracefully in his own style I've never seen before while being a Level One Adventurer who started three weeks ago. There were no wasted movements or mistakes in his execution. And his agility and battle awareness was better than I thought. Either he's a skilled liar lying about his own abilities, or someone is feeding him wrong information about what consists of a starting Adventurer because I do not sense him lying when I asked about it yesterday. He believed that he was still green in fighting when his skills said otherwise."
"But what if he's already a skilled swordsman before getting a Falna?"
"That's why I said maybe someone is feeding him wrong information about what consists of a new Adventurer."
"So, Ryuu, your assessment?" This time Lunoire was the one who asked her.
"His technique in swordsmanship far surpass a new Level One. Everything else is in place, though, except for his agility," Ryuu looked towards her savior, wanting to know her reaction to Bell's assessment. However, instead of being weirded out when she pointed the possibilities, Syr's eyes were instead sparkling.
"So he's strong?"
Ryuu sighed. "'Strong' is a subjective term I wouldn't use."
"Miss Lion!"
Suddenly she heard someone calling her name from afar. It was a familiar voice. It was still morning, so the streets around them were still serene, with almost no people loitering around. That was why Bell's shout could be heard as he ran towards her. Towards them.
"Observe," she told her colleague as Bell arrived.
Bell huffed for a few seconds before he bowed towards her. "I'm sorry I'm late! Mrs. Adeline's needed my help. Her daughter was sick, so she couldn't carry the sack of wheat for their bakery."
She looked at him. Did he really expect her to know who this Mrs. Adeline was? Or her daughter? "It's okay, Mr. Cranel. We did not agree on what time we should meet yesterday, so it's not your fault. I simply always train at the sign of dawn."
Bell laughed sheepishly before his eyes caught the people watching them today.
"A-Ah, Syr! And the other waitresses too. Good Morning!" He bowed towards them.
"Good Morning, Bell."
"Nice to properly meet you, boy."
"Nice to meet you."
Bell smiled at them before he looked towards Ryuu again. "Miss Lion. Thank you for yesterday. I went one floor lower than I was before."
Ryuu shook her head. "The pleasure is mine. That said, Mr. Cranel. From what I can observe, you don't look like Far Eastern people. How come you're so fluent in using the Far Eastern's style of swordsmanship? Did you perhaps spend some time before coming here in Far East training your swordsmanship?"
There was something odd about his smile before he answered, "Something like that, yes."
He was no skilled liar, she realized. This boy was too honest for his own good that when he tried to lie, it showed. So that crossed out the first possibilities. She did not want to do anything about it as it did not concern her. But...
She glanced at Syr, who was still looking at Bell with dreamy eyes.
If Bell ended up being problematic and it affected Syr, that was when she had to act.
Bell unsheathed his katana, and she did the same to her trusted weapon, Alf's Lumina. Of course, she had to hold back when they sparred, and this time was no exception. Around them, the weird sound from yesterday was reverberating again. She put the sound aside and concentrated on their spar.
Bell opened their first bout with a leap towards her before he slashed at her, with water splash following, as was his usual strikes. She heard some 'Oooohhh' from the spectators, but she put that aside and twisted her body to go inside Bell's guard. Unfortunately for her, Bell had anticipated this and changed his stances and parried her thrust.
She overpowered him and struck his chest, but Bell hadn't relented and jumped backward to gain distance. She put her guard up because she knew Bell was not a reactionary fighter. His style was so fluid that it can also counter and not just attack, but his style's optimal use was to attack relentlessly.
Her prediction was correct. Bell came at her again, water forming around his swords, and slashed at her. She dodged before she went towards his back and put her sword on his neck, signifying the end of the first bout.
However, it did not go according to her vision.
When she was on his back, he surprised her by doing a front flip and slashed upwards at her from the bottom. The torrent of water soaked her entire body because she could do nothing but block it with her own sword. As the water soaked her body, she flinched at how cold it was, and Bell used her momentary lapse of discipline to distance himself again.
"Well done, Mr. Cranel. It's the first time you managed to locate me when I'm behind you and put your swords between mine and your neck," she praised him. The last move was genuinely unexpected.
"Ahahaha, thank you, Miss Lion," Bell grinned as he went on a stance. The weird sound she could not place was ringing again. "Here I go!"
Bell ran towards her, twisting his body before he slashed. This time, she knew from experience that the twist increased the power, so she did not parry and instead slipped away. None of the water touched her now. He then moved again, swinging his sword, and she accepted the invitation. Each and every strike he tried to do, she blocked, parried, and dodged.
The thing about fighting the style Bell used was to always defend because you could never know when that one decisive strike could come. Not even the water was a clue, because sometimes the decisive strike Bell did had no water. You had to wait for the slightest opportunity, but there was no gap in his execution. All his attack flowed flawlessly with no rest. That made his style of swordsmanship hard to counter. It was like... If she had to compare it, it was like fighting flowing water. No matter how many times you cut, no matter how many times you dodge, the water will always go towards you. That was why she said his swordsmanship was long past a Level One.
She disengaged and jumped backward, but Bell followed her and went for another strike, which she parried in mid-air. You could not rest because the water will definitely come. She used the momentum from the deflection, twisting her body, and then used Bell's shoulder as a platform to go upwards in a jump. She gasped when she looked down and saw Bell coming for her even when she was still in the air.
Soon, he caught up with her in mid-air. With a determined look, Bell put his katana behind his head and slashed downwards at her. In an instant, the momentum struck, and she was dragged down towards the ground.
It was not wrong to say that she had been attacked by a waterfall because suddenly all the water in the air fell down in a rush and overwhelmed her when her feet touched the ground. But it was not enough to force her to submit. She still had her wooden sword locked in a struggle of power with his.
At that moment, Ryuu realized one thing. Bell's position of being above her meant that Bell's feet still hadn't touched the ground. He was still in mid-air. So she used her knee to strike Bell's stomach.
"Ghaa!"
It struck, and Bell lost his strength. She easily put her wooden sword on his neck, signaling the end of their first bout.
Bell collapsed to the ground while panting hard when he realized he had already lost.
"Was that too strong? I apologize, Mr. Cranel. I forgot to limit my strength in the last part." Ryuu apologized.
"No..." Bell answered while panting. "It's just... I exerted myself... too hard... pant..."
Ryuu kneeled down to help Bell stand up. "That spar is the longest one. Congratulations, Mr. Cranel. You're improving again."
"Thanks..." Although he managed to control his breath to not gasp that hard anymore from her observation, Bell was still panting.
"Bell!" Syr was coming towards them with concern on her face. "Are you okay?"
"Syr... I'm okay," Bell said with a smile through the occasional gasps.
"What was that?" Syr asked, probably referring to Bell's sword style. "Your attacks are somehow more beautiful than Ryuu's!"
That was because she forsook style for efficiency. But she had to admit, if Bell kept up his sword style even when he leveled up, he would have a style that was both beautiful and efficient. She envied him a little if she were to be honest.
She shook her head off those thoughts. Those kinds of things were in the past. The current her was satisfied enough after being saved by Syr.
After more controlled breathing from Bell, he finally answered. "That's my skill. It materializes water when I make a certain attack."
"What was the point of the water, though?"
"I honestly don't know," Bell answered with a laugh. "Maybe for me to have an infinite amount of water supplies down in the Dungeon?"
...That was...
"That itself is an advantage, Mr. Cranel. The Dungeon is unpredictable. Having an infinite amount of water supplies when finding a natural river is hard in the Lower Floor would really be useful," Ryuu explained. Her mind went back to the old days with her Familia...
Bell scratched the back of his head with a grin. "Ahahaha, is that so? Thank you for the advice, Miss Lion."
"Not just the water, Bell. But that moves you did. It's... more graceful? I don't know the most fitting words, but when I see your sword style and comparing it to Ryuu... Ryuu's felt like it lacked something that makes it beautiful like yours. Well, this is coming from a civilian like me, though," Syr finished with a smile.
"Oh, you mean my Breath of Water style?"
Breath of Water? Interesting name. Ryuu filed that information for later.
"Yes. It's..."
"Like water, right?" Bell finished Syr's statement with a smile. "Water is adaptable. Its flow cannot be stopped. When you block a water stream, it will find its way around the block and continue streaming down. Likewise, when you put water into a glass, it will follow the shape of the glass. That's the philosophy behind the Breath of Water. Adapt, and continue flowing."
"I was about to say it's like a dance, Bell," Syr giggled. "But you're also right."
"A dance?" Bell's face reddened at Syr's suggestion, but then a second later, his face gained a contemplative look before he widened his eyes. "You might be right, Syr. I learned the styles individually, and I knew they can be chained. But I never realize that it looked like a dance from an outsider's perspective. Thanks, Syr. Maybe if I can learn about dancing, I can improve my executions... hmm..."
"Syr can be your dancing partner, then."
"C-Chloe!" This time it was Syr's face who reddened in embarrassment from Chloe's teasing.
But Bell shook his head in disagreement. "It would be dangerous for Syr if she were to be my 'dancing' partner. After all, this is still a martial art."
Bell Cranel, stop making Syr look downcast!
It seemed that Bell sensed her deadly glare because he immediately followed through. "But I wouldn't mind learning a normal dance with you, Syr!"
Good. Syr's mood lifted, and she smiled at Bell.
"Anyway, Miss Lion. I am ready. Let's continue!"
"Geh, is he a masochist or something?" She heard Chloe's mutter. No, Chloe. Bell was clearly more determined in honing his skills than you. She had once invited the others working in Hostess of Fertility, but after just a single session, all of them did not want to continue. Clearly, Bell had more drive than them, even though he was still a Level One.
"I think it's all the adrenaline," Lunoir quipped back. "When he realized what he put his body through..."
She ignored them and focused on her sparring partner.
The strange sound was reverberating again. She had to focus herself again because suddenly she realized that she was fighting. Bell was coming towards her with a swing.
(They stopped after one more round of sparring. Bell excused himself because he had something else to do for the day. Ryuu wiped her sweat with a towel given by Syr as they walked inside the Hostess of Fertility.
Bell Cranel... she thought to herself. What a frightening child. To improve so much in a single day. The path to his heart would be a treacherous journey for Syr.)
The friendly outings with Eina was a fun one. (He refused to call it a date because Eina had never implied it to be so.) They unexpectedly met with his Goddess, who apparently worked off his katana's debt by working on Hephaestus shop.
To be honest, he could not accept Hestia's decision and almost started an argument. But Eina gave him an armguard to try when it happened, so his head cooled off a bit. In the end, he decided to talk with his Goddess later when the friendly outing was finished. After that, the two of them continued looking for his armor until he finally found one around his budget and looked like it had high quality. Surprisingly, Eina gifted him with an armguard that he accepted reluctantly. Rejecting it would be impolite, but he did not want to make her spend money for him.
Later after Bell escorted Eina back to her apartment, Bell bumped into someone. Or rather, that someone bumped into him. Upon closer look, he realized that the one bumping to him was a Pallum girl. Or woman. He couldn't really distinguish her ages because of her stature.
"Are you okay?" Bell offered his hand towards the Pallum on the ground.
"E-Eh?" Hmm, was she that startled when he tried to help? Bell held back his frown from forming on his lip. If there was one thing he noticed after coming to Orario, it was the fact that the city wasn't kind. Was she perhaps one of the people who had a first taste of the harshness of Orario?
"Here, let me help you stand." Bell forcefully grabbed the Pallum girl's shoulder and helped her stand up. She probably would just stare at the hand she was offered and look at him strangely if he did not do anything. "There... I'm sorry for bumping into you. I know you must be in a hurry so..."
Before Bell could finish, he heard hurried footsteps and a raging shout. "Found ya, ya shitty Pallum!"
Bell did not need any time processing what was happening before he faced the one approaching them and put the Pallum girl protectively behind him.
"You're in my way, brat! Fuck off!" The one approaching them with rage was an Adventurer, evident from the large sword on his back.
"No," Bell said with determination. This might be a foolish move, but in an instant, he remembered the boy in his dream.
"Who the fuck are you!? Her friend of something!?" The Adventurer now turned his attention towards him.
Bell shook his head. "Don't know her. This is the first time we meet."
"Then why the hell are you defending her!?"
To this, Bell looked at the Adventurer in front of him in the eyes. "Because bullying someone weaker than you is wrong."
"Bull-whatever. If you insist on giving me a hard time, I'll just slice your throat." The man's hand went towards his sword, intending to draw it. Bell wasted no time to fix his breathing as his hand went towards the sword on his waist.
He was not blind. The girl behind him might be in the wrong. She might be a criminal.
His mind recalled the dream he had clearly. He recalled how in his dream, the boy in the green and black-checkered garb was always kind to everyone, even to the enemies, after fulfilling his duty. He wanted to be like that. He wanted to be like the boy in his dream.
So he stood his ground.
He did not do it because he wanted to look cool helping a girl.
He stood his ground because, in his eyes, the look the girl behind him had was wrong. Why did nobody ever offer her kindness? Was Orario really that harsh? If nobody wanted to, then Bell hoped he could be the one who offered his kindness to her.
It was as simple as that.
The man took a step forward, his sword in his hand. But Bell was faster. In an instant, Bell went inside his guard and used the time he wasted on being surprised to hit the Adventurer's chin with his katana's hilt. Bell was not delusional. Using the sharp end on the blade on him would invite all kinds of trouble, so he reversed his grip and used the hilt to give the man a bruise.
"Bastard!"
The Adventurer, lost in his own rage, charged at him. However, before he could deflect the swing, a powerful voice filled the area around them.
"Stop it right there."
It was a familiar voice to Bell. When he looked towards the sound, it was to see Ryuu with a bag full of groceries in her arms.
"You should not fight in the middle of the city. It will disturb the civilians."
"Fuck off, bitch!"
"Silence."
The way she spoke it was normal, yet the weight behind her words hit them, and Bell instinctively sheathed his sword and straightened his back. The Adventurer did the same. Was this really the same Ryuu from this morning? Did she hold herself back that much for him?
"I don't like violence, you see. I tend to go overboard."
The Adventurer glared at her before clicking his tongue and backed off, but not before saying his last words.
"When we meet in the Dungeon, we'll finish this, brat!"
When he completely left, Ryuu turned towards him. "Are you alright, Mr. Cranel?"
He nodded. "Thank you, Miss Lion. I was afraid I had to fight there..."
Ryuu shook her head. "While I am happy that he backed off without a fight, I imagine you felt a little disappointed to not be able to use your skill, huh? Forgive me for interfering. Why are you fighting in the first place, if I may know."
"Ah, I was just helping this one Pallum girl... huh?" Bell looked behind him to see no one where the Pallum was supposed to be. "I guess she ran away in the tension."
Bell let out a small laugh.
Ryuu looked towards him with a strange expression. "Is she someone you know?"
"Not really. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't help, right?" He grinned at the greenish-blonde elf.
"It seems that you have quite the sense of justice."
Hearing that, Bell looked down towards his sheathed sword.
"It was not justice." If he looked up, he would have seen Ryuu snapping her neck quickly towards him. "If it were justice, I wouldn't blindly jump into helping her. If it were justice, I would try to understand both sides of the situation before taking action. No..."
Bell looked towards Ryuu with a bright smile. "I just see someone so untouched by the kindness of the people and want to lend a hand."
"Is that so? So you see helping someone sincerely not as a Justice, but as a kindness to be offered... I have to say this is a first, Mr. Cranel."
"I have a sort of... personal philosophy? No, no, not quite that deep. Personal belief, yes." Bell scratched his cheek. "Kindness begets kindness. When you offer one, you will get offered one at a later date."
Ryuu's flat lips unexpectedly turned into a smile.
"You're a good person, Mr. Cranel. Orario has one too many good Adventurers, but it lacks good people."
"What about you, though, Miss Lion? Aren't you also helping me? Isn't that also offering your kindness to me? See, I extended my hand for that Pallum girl, and then you extend your hand for me. My belief is right!"
Ryuu was opening her mouth, but no sound came out.
"You're also a good person, Miss Lion."
"...I'm not a good person, Mr. Cranel. But I thank you for the compliment. I shall keep an eye on you. Good Evening," she bowed and left.
Bell wanted to argue back, but she had already left him. Was it another piece of Ryuu's past that he always brought up somehow, even when he was having a normal conversation? Was he cursed to not be able to have a single normal conversation that did not end with him offending her?
Feeling a little sad and worried for her, he continued his way towards the Abandoned Church.
(When Ryuu arrived in the Hostess of Fertility, she put a hand on Syr's shoulder, catching her attention. Ryuu then said one thing that sent Syr's thought running.
Bell saved an unknown girl. Be more aggressive before someone else snatch him.)
"Goddess. I don't agree with your decision." Bell opened the talk after they had finished dinner. This was it. This was the talk that he promised he would have with her.
"What decision?" Hestia blinked at his statement. Oh right. He technically hadn't said anything to her. Everything was still inside his mind.
"Hiding the true worth of the katana! You said you had it handled without ever telling me that we're actually in debt."
"Bell-" But Bell cut her off.
"I'm not angry because we're in debt. What I am angry, and disagree with you is how you hid the truth from me, Goddess."
There was silence. Whatever justification Hestia was about to say, she did not say it.
"Bell..."
"We're Familia, aren't we? We should not hide any problems. We should share the burden and shoulder it together..."
Hestia moved to embrace him. "My precious child is throwing a tantrum," she giggled.
"G-Goddess!" Bell's face reddened in embarrassment, having been embraced by her.
"Thank you for your concern, Bell. I'll never leave you in the dark again."
Bell returned the hug before they laughed and released themselves.
"Bell," this time Hestia was serious. "Since I promised you. I'll tell you that I have a secret I've been keeping from you. However, you have to realize that I'm not keeping this because I don't want to share it with you. I'm keeping this because Humans can't lie to Gods. If some Gods were targeting you, you had no way to escape because you cannot lie to them."
Bell adopted the serious look as he nodded, hearing Hestia's explanation. "Yes."
"Therefore, I wouldn't tell you about it, just that it exists. Is that acceptable?"
"...Is it really that dangerous?"
At this, Hestia looked down. "You might be hunted by other Familias... and I don't want that! You're mine, Bell!"
Bell smiled. "We will always be Familia, Goddess. And Family never abandon each other. I understand; you can keep this one secret. Thank you for sharing this with me."
"My Bell~"
"G-Goddess!"
She snuggled her head into his chest. Bell put his hand on her head with a smile on his face. His Goddess might not be perfect, but she was the best for him. No doubt about it. She revealed that she was holding a vital secret for his sake. He had to repay her trust.
"Actually, Goddess. I also have a secret I haven't tell anyone."
Hestia released his embrace and then looked at him with a surprise on her face. "You do!?"
Bell nodded. "It concerned the fact that I decided to change my weapon."
He picked up the still sheathed sword.
"Ever since I was little, I occasionally have this one continuous dream. It's about a Far Eastern boy fighting to return her demonized sister back into a human. In that dream, he used a katana to execute his sword style. For some reason I can't understand, I can easily recall how to do his sword style after seeing it," he elaborated. "My Elemental Respiration probably came from the same dream. I don't think it's dangerous, as so far, the dream helps me in many ways to realize my own goals. But if there is a likely explanation, I would like to understand it."
Hestia seemed like she was muttering something under her breath.
"What is it, Goddess?"
"... I have several theories, but I would like to ask my fellow Gods and Goddesses for confirmation," Hestia sighed. "You truly are special, aren't you, Bell?"
"I don't think I'm special. Maybe it was just luck."
"Blessed by good luck means you're more special than others, Bell."
He frowned a little, thinking back to the Pallum girl he met that evening. Was he more special than her, then? He personally did not think so. He, who was improving day by day and could recall an entire sword style from a dream. The Pallum girl, who looked like she had never been touched by kindness. Were both of them any different? He did not think so. And yet, it seemed like he got a bit more luck than her.
"Then I hope I can share some of that luck to others, Goddess."
His Goddess looked a little surprised by his admission. "No! You absolutely have to use all the luck you get! Don't share it! You're reckless! I would hope you realize that the amount of luck you have is proportional to the chance of you coming back alive to me!"
Bell had no words to that. It was because he knew what Hestia said was true. He was reckless. He also relied on luck. So, in theory, what his Goddess said was correct.
However...
"Bell?"
"I'll become strong enough that I don't need luck to survive. That way, I can share some of my luck with others, too," Bell said to her with a smile.
With that, the conversation ended, and Bell decided to sleep. As usual, Hestia hugged him and slept with him on the sofa even though they had a working bed. But this time, Bell embraced her back as he slept with a smile on his face.
The next day, after training all morning, Bell was going towards the Dungeon when he heard someone calling for him.
"Mr. White Hair, Mr. White Hair."
Blinking, Bell looked down to see a short girl with an oversized backpack on her shoulders. At a glance, she looked like the Pallum girl from yesterday evening.
"Oh, are you okay? The big guy from yesterday did not do anything to you, right?"
"Hmm? Lili doesn't understand. Have we met before, Mr. White Hair?"
All his senses were telling him that the girl in front of him was lying. But Bell did not betray his emotion and instead just laughed it off. "Ahaha, I must have mistaken you for someone else. Is there something I can help with?"
"Are you looking for a supporter, Mr. White Hair?"
"Not exactly, no." Bell saw her face tightened a bit. "But I was thinking about hiring them, yeah."
Her face lit up. "Then, please hire Lili!"
Bad news. That was what Bell got from his senses. Ever since Ryuu told him to trust his senses more, he had always believed it. So while Bell did not know anything about this girl or why she was lying, Bell knew for a fact that she was bad news.
...
"Sure! I'm Bell. Nice to meet you, Miss Lili."
This counted as lending his hand to her, right? Bell tried to justify his decision inside his mind as they walked inside the Dungeon. He had promised himself that he would lend her a hand, and so he did. Would he regret it later? Probably. Would he do any different if he could turn back time? No.
There was someone he wanted to chase after, and giving people his kindness was another step towards that person, that boy in the green and black-checkered garb who inspired him.
"Y-Yeah, Master Bell. Lili's name is Liliruca Arde."
"Oh? Miss Arde, then."
They had more small talks as they went towards the Dungeon. Apparently, Lili was from Soma Familia. He did not precisely know how reputable they were, but they should be well known from what Lili said. Then it led to Bell offering to shelter her when Lili, for some reason, said that she was inn-hopping her way in Orario.
No, this was not out of kindness. It might ruin his sleep schedule a bit, but Bell wanted to keep an eye on her, to see what made his senses went crazy on her.
And maybe... just maybe... when she felt the warmth given by his Goddess, she would realize that there were still people that would give you kindness in this harsh world, that the world was not out to get you, that you could afford to relax for a bit.
Okay, maybe he wanted to help her, but that was secondary compared to knowing why she was dangerous. Unfortunately, it looked like she declined the invitation, so Bell did not bring it up again.
Then they arrived inside the Dungeon.
"So, Master Bell. Have you decided what floors are you going to do today?"
"Hmm, what's your recommendation for a three-week olds Adventurer like me, Miss Arde?"
"T-Three weeks?" She looked really surprised by his admission.
"Hm? Were you expecting someone more experienced? I'm sorry, ahahaha..." Bell scratched the back of his head. Was she reconsidering?
"It's okay, Master Bell. But Lili is just a lowly Supporter. Lili has no right in deciding what floor you should be," she bashfully replied, hiding her face in shame.
"Then we'll descend to the seventh floor. I still have to familiarize myself with some of the monsters there."
"S-Seventh floor!?"
"Yep. Let's go."
And so they descended. The monsters in the first to the fourth floor were easily decapitated by Bell, only occasionally using the Breath of Water. The look of shock on Lili's face was palpable. Like others, she probably did not think a three-week-old Adventurer like him would already have a skill.
"Is that a Magic Sword?" Lili asked him as she collected the magic stones out of the monster's corpse.
"No, no. This is just your run-on-the-mill katana," Bell sheathed his sword back on his waist and replied.
"Then, those water are magic?"
"It's a skill."
As Lili finished carving the magic stones and left the corpse, Bell put his hands together and bowed his head down, closing his eyes.
The Dungeon was alive. That was what Eina said to him before. The Dungeon was alive, and it hated Adventurers, hence birthing monsters and killing people who entered it.
"Master Bell? What are you doing?"
"Praying," Bell answered.
That was fine for him. Despite seeing the unrelenting hatred of every monster he killed, Bell never hated them back. Part of it was because he wanted to emulate the compassion of the boy from his dream that inspired him, but another part of him realized that it was not the monster's fault that they were born full of hatred against humans.
"Praying? Lili doesn't understand."
So he prayed for their peace of mind upon death. He prayed towards the Dungeon that the soul of the monster he just killed would be free of hatred.
It did not mean that he would befriend them. There was a line between compassion and duty, like the boy in the green and black-checkered garb showed him. It was his duty as an Adventurer to kill them and took their magic stones so that they wouldn't be eaten by other monsters. But his compassion required him to pray for their peace of mind.
"Nah, it was just something I decided to try. No need to think about it," Bell shook his head as they continued their journey.
"Out of curiosity, Master Bell. Who did you pray to?"
"The Dungeon, of course," Bell said matter-of-factly.
"...You're weird."
"Is that so?"
No other words were exchanged as Bell continued decapitating monsters on their way down towards the seventh floor. Each time he killed a monster using his Breath of Water, he would also pray for it to be free of hatred. Lili kept looking at him weirdly every time he did that, and Bell just answered her gaze with a smile.
They finally arrived at the seventh floor, and Bell wordlessly used his Breath of Water on nearby Needle Rabbits. After praying for them, he heard the sound of rapid wings beat from above.
"Watch out!" Bell scooped up Lili, who didn't see the Purple Moth's poisonous powder coming from above.
"Gya!"
Bell promptly summoned water around them by using Twisting Whirlpool to wash away the powder. In the end, even though he questioned how useful it was to have water, he found its use now.
"Are you okay, Miss Arde? I'm gonna go."
Without waiting for her reply, Bell ran towards the flying Purple Moth and made a vertical roundabout slash.
Breath of Water, Second Style: Water Wheel!
The water wheel reached towards the Purple Moth and unbalanced it. Bell took no time to slash its wings before he decapitated it.
"...Are you really a three-week olds Adventurer, Master Bell? You're joking, right?" He heard Lili asked him as he was praying for the Purple Moth.
"Why?" He asked after he finished praying.
"Nothing. You pray to the Dungeon; you said that before, right? Do you feel pity for them, then, Master Bell?" Lili answered him with another question before taking out a knife and began carving out the magic stone.
"Somewhat," Bell answered. "It wasn't the monsters' fault that they were born full of hate and had nothing else in their mind besides kill, kill, and kill. So as I put them to rest, I pray to the Dungeon that they would get peace of mind, at least before their soul goes away."
"You agree with the soul theorist, then, Master Bell?"
"Soul theorist?" Bell asked Lili back. This was the first time he had heard of it.
"Lili is not a believer itself, but from what Lili understands, the soul theorist theorized that monsters from the Dungeon have a soul separate from the magic stones that make them alive. But some people do not agree with the view because the closest thing they have towards a soul is the magic stone itself."
As she finished her explanation, so did she finish getting the magic stone out. Putting them in the bag, Lili then faced him.
"This is the first time I heard about this soul theory, so I can't answer whether I agree with them or not. But I personally think they have soul, yeah."
"...You really are a weird Adventurer, Master Bell."
"Ahahaha, thank you?" He honestly did not know what to feel. It was not insulting, nor was it actually praising him. But giving gratitude was never wrong, so he replied with that, although he was still confused. "You're a little weird yourself, Miss Arde."
She froze when Bell spoke that line.
"H-Huh? What do you mean, Master Bell?"
"The whole calling me with 'Master.' You don't need to do that, you know? I'm not that kind of person. Oh, Killer Ants." Bell wordlessly dispatched them before they could call for reinforcements, prompting Lili to work on them again.
"It's because Lili is aware of her own place, Master Bell. Lili is just a lowly Supporter while Master Bell is a respected Adventurer," she replied. "If words got out that Lili is not respectful towards Master Bell, then Lili wouldn't get any more work."
That put a frown on Bell's face. He finally could put together a picture of why Lili was so surprised by his help yesterday. He definitely did not like it. Orario indeed was a harsh place where the strong trampled upon the weak.
It was fortunate that he somehow could acquire a skill out of his dream. Was this the luck that his Goddess spoke of? He really wanted to share it with her.
"Hey, Miss Arde-" whatever he wanted to say, he had to cut off because he sensed something coming from behind him. Bell immediately put a hand on his sheathed sword and took it out as he turned.
Breath of Water, First Style: Water Surface Slice!
He cut a needle rabbit that was jumping on him from behind in two, killing it instantly.
"You really can't rest inside a Dungeon, huh? I could rest for a while on the higher floor, but we're only on the seventh floor, and we still had no meaningful rest; only a minute's worth before something else came," Bell voiced out his observation.
"It's because the higher floor had more Adventurers delving it. The lower you are, the smaller the Adventurer's number on the floor is. It's why you have more time to rest above than here. The monsters had more people to kill, so they couldn't concentrate solely on you."
"I see..." Bell trailed off before he put together his hand in pray.
They spent the next three hours hunting monsters on the seventh floor before they decided to call it a day and went back to the surface.
When they arrived at the surface, the sky had turned orange, around the time for the sun to set. Bell decided to rest on a nearby bench before exchanging the magic stones. Lili looked like she wanted to ask why but nodded in agreement instead.
"So, why do you want to rest first, Master Bell?"
"It's because finally, I can relax." Bell then stopped his breathing technique, and he immediately fell down to the bench gasping for air.
"M-Master Bell?"
"Don't... worry... gasp... side effect... of my sword style..."
"I-Is that so? It looked stunning and powerful. Lili guesses everything has its downside, then."
"Not... really... I am... just... too weak..." Bell replied, still gasping. "Half an hour... We'll exchange the stones... after half an hour..."
Lili looked stunned at his answer. "T-Then, Master Bell, shall we divide our earning now? Lili can't afford to wait. Lili will exchange Lili's share herself."
Bell nodded. "Take half..."
Lili gasped. "H-Half? Lili couldn't possibly do that!"
Bell smiled. "Half of that stones... are how much I gathered... yesterday... ...couldn't gather this much... without you... it's your own... contributions..."
"Lili couldn't possibly take half of it! A quarter! That's the most Lili could take!"
"I... insist..." Bell looked at her in the eyes. There was silence between them, only filled with the ambient sound of Orario at sunset.
"Lili is right. You really are weird, Master Bell. Fine. If you insist that much, Lili will take a third. That's Lili's final offer."
Bell smiled at that.
"But in exchange, Master Bell have to hire Lili as a Supporter again tomorrow."
"That's fine... I will do that..."
They parted ways for the day. Lili towards the Guild while Bell stayed put on the bench recovering his stamina.
(Later, he was grilled for information about his new Supporter by Eina. In turn, he gained more information about the Familia she was in, the very same Familia that abandoned its own family member.
To him, Familia was not about weak or strong as Lili claimed. It was about understanding and accepting each other regardless of their strength. The existence of a Familia that would abandon its own member was gnawing at him.)
A/N: So yeah, to my own surprise, I ended up continuing this. You can thank Kimetsu movie and announcement for Danmachi S4. This fic is stilll not about Bell's struggle to become stronger. A fact that most people missed about Kimetsu is the underlying theme that makes it my absolute favorite shonen manga. No, it's not the kickass animation. It's also not the power system or the battles, nor the storylines. They're good, yes, but so does other shonen manga. What Kimetsu has that other shonen manga does not have, in my opinion, is the theme around 'family'. The theme of 'family' is what I'm trying to get in this fic. Bell's main motivation of coming to Orario this time is not the dream of heroism and saving girls, but the loneliness and the craving of familial love, influenced by the childhood of the Kamado Family he saw in his dream as a kid.
Over time, his dream of Tanjirou began influencing his behavior outside of the Dungeon, as I exposed. I wanted to make a proper scene to make a stronger impression, but I was too lazy so only a paragraph worth of it. Tanjirou's compassion and empathy towards the enemy in his dream also somewhat inspired him to be more respectful for his monster opponents. It was not wrong for Lili to look at him strangely for his behavior, but Bell understood duty and compassion are two different things because of Tanjirou. Also, Lili did not snatch Bell's sword in the last part. A sword was too noticeable to lose, and Lili did not want to take the chances, not to mention Bell triggered an alarm bell (heh) inside her head because there was no way a three-week olds Adventurer was as strong as him, so no lewd handholding scene with Ryuu, but I got the substitute for that!
In the future, I think I will make this a fic where Bell healed everyone with his kindness, as was the case with Tanjirou. Tripping the landmine (flag) for Ryuu's past (route) is part of the process. It's also because I love her. I can't wait for next year.